In what’s being hailed as a breakthrough, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US claim to have discovered a new power source — fuel-coated nanotubes.

A MIT team, which also included a group of researchers from RMIT University in Australia, says it has discovered that fuel-coated nanotubes can be excellent conductors of heat and power generators.

The power generated relative to the energy source size is three to four times greater than what is currently possible with the best lithium-ion batteries, say the scientists.

JAMMU, Feb 8: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday sought the support of Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR) in the promotion of aroma, herbal and leather industry in Jammu and Kashmir. "We are also looking forward for technological intervention of CSIR to enable the State utilize huge quantity of weeds produced in Dal and other lakes", Chief Minister told the visiting team of CSIR led by Secretary Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Director General, Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari, who called on the Chief Minister here.

Prof. Tapas Kumar Kundu of Bangalore-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research has won the G. D. Birla Award for his contributions in the field of bio-chemistry. The award, instituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation to accord recognition to high-calibre scientific research undertaken by Indian scientists below the age of 50, carries Rs.1.50 lakh in cash. — PTI

China recently released a set of “world's highest resolution” lunar images taken by its second moon orbiter, Chang'e-2, as it braces to launch its next mission to land a rover to explore its surface. China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) recently published a set of full coverage map of the Moon and its images with a resolution of seven meters captured by Chang'e-2.

A Russian team has succeeded in drilling through four kilometres (2.5 miles) of ice to the surface of a mythical subglacial Antarctic lake which could hold as yet unknown life forms, reports said Monday. Lake Vostok is the largest subglacial lake in Antarctica and scientists want to study its eco-system which has been isolated for hundreds of thousands of years under the ice in the hope of finding previously unknown microbiological life forms.
Surface reached

The 12th EU (European Union)-India Summit, to be held on February 10, would take stock of the progress so far in negotiations between both the sides on the ambitious free trade agreement (FTA). It would also discuss other bilateral issues concerning economic cooperation between India and the EU, climate change, energy and science and technology. The 27-nation bloc EU would be represented by Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, and José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. The two would hold high-level talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Shimla: In an initiative backed by World Bank, the Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project has tied up with the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, for the standardisation of the silt-monitoring technology to help quantify the impact of watershed treatment interventions. World Bank is keen on developing a scientific model to evaluate the outcome of the programmes and projects being implemented for the rehabilitation of degraded watersheds.

A model generating light from water and sunlight was presented before Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on Saturday. The model developed by Laxmi N Menon from Kerala can light up dark places in buildings during the day. The solar appliance, which costs just Rs 30 to 40, can provide light equivalent to 25 Watts in dark rooms without any additional expenses.